Steven A. LeBlanc

The covering law model in archaeology: Practical uses and formal interpretations

Abstract In a recent issue of World Archaeology, Charles Morgan criticized our book, Explanation in Archaeology. We find much of his discussion to be not only unfair but wrong because: (1) He attacks us as though we were advocating the adoption of a formalist version of the Covering Law (CL) model by archaeologists, which we are not.

A Comment on Hegmon and Trevathan's "Gender, Anatomical Knowledge, and Pottery Production"

The concern with the gender and role of Mimbres potters and painters is certainly an important one, and Hegmon and Trevathan (1996) do a good job of reviewing the various arguments about the identity of the bowl painters. Going beyond this review, they add another possible piece of evidence for the role of men in the production of Mimbres art. While I concur that the other arguments they present suggest some role for men in the painting activity, I do not believe that the particular new example they present adds any weight to this argument.

Flare-Rimmed Bowls: A Sub-Type of Mimbres Classic Black-on-White

Mimbres Classic Black-on-white bowls are shown to be divisible into two classes on the basis of shape and design layouts. It is demonstrated that flare-rimmed bowls have different patterns of design layout than do hemispherical bowls. The similarity of these design canons to those found on Gila Polychrome is discussed. Implications from this study concerning the analysis of Southwestern pottery are also considered. A new sub-type of Mimbres Classic Black-on-white has been established which may have important consequences for our understanding of the culture history of southwest New Mexico. This sub-type is characterized by an association between vessel shape and patterns of design layout. The demonstration that such an association exists within an established type is also of some interest to the further development of pottery classification in the Southwest. Historically, classification of southwestern pottery has had as a major goal the defining of types which could be given discrete spatial and temporal placement. In turn, the major utility of these types has been the chronologic

The Salado in Southwestern New Mexico

ABSTRACTThe late prehistory of southwest New Mexico is outlined. The long Mogollon-Mimbres sequence is seen as having no significant relationship to the Salado. The Animas phase, which immediately follows the Mimbres sequence, contains Gila Polychrome, but this phase is seen as related to Casas Grandes and not to the Arizona Salado. The last occupation in the area at about A.D. 1400 is the Cliff phase. Gila Polychrome is the dominant painted ware and is locally made. Sites are adobe walled and often have compound walls. At least 18 sites containing over 1400 rooms are known. It is concluded that the Cliff phase is directly related to the Salado and that a model of the Salado cannot exclude this phase.